Gyuto is taller, better knuckle clearance on the board if you're mincing a shallot. Easier to mince herbs.

Petty is not as tall, less "stiction" (i.e., less surface area on the "away" side of the knife) for your sweet potatoes to fall away from if you're slicing sweet potatoes on the board. Petties are easier to maneuver off the board. That's either peeling a potato or boning a chicken.

At 150mm a "gyuto" IS a petty, just one with a very particular few advantages for quick jobs where you should be using a gyuto otherwise, and some disadvantages compared to narrower profile. I think if you have a gyuto, don't get the gyuto-shaped petty. And if you don't have a gyuto, get a gyuto and a petty. If you need a shallot and tiny-bunch-of-herbs specialist blade, then I'm wrong. I might be wrong for other reasons, too, but I think "IMO" and "YMMV" are pretty much implied by any stranger posting on the internet!

Agreed. IMHO, if you already have a gyuto, a 150mm petty is likely more useful than another smaller gyuto. And if you want a gyuto, you should be looking at something larger anyway. A 150mm gyuto is fine as an "accessory" knife - something in addition to your basic set, like a bird's beak paring knife, that you might use for certain infrequent tasks where it is particularly applicable (unless, as Wagstaff suggested, you do a lot of what for others would be an infrequent task). I have a 6" Wusthoff chef knife that was given to us as part of a set when we got married. Nice knife. It sits in the block and is probably the least used knife we have. Even the boning knife get used more often. The most used knives are the larger Gyutos (210 and 240), the Chinese cleaver, the bread knife and the pettys.

Thank you Wagstaff, since I already have two gyutos, a 200mm Kasumi and a 240mm Tojiro, I will probably get the actual 150mm petty but am still considering between the HD or JCK originals (FH series) visually the FH looks slimmer than the HD, any idea.

The common short knife tasks are paring/peeling, trimming, boning,and "small utility" (plastic bags, string, sandwiches), right? What else will you be doing with yours?

I have a 6" Nogent cook's knife. It's wonderful, I love it, and except for fabricating small fish (which is why I bought it), and making very fine cuts of smallish items (shallots, e.g.) it's pretty much useless. Because I enjoy the knife so much I use it for things which other knives do better. It's wide profile makes it less than agile; and I don't really need or want a small knife for chopping. The extra strength, so helpful in cutting off fish heads and fin-bones, doesn't translate to much else. If you're primary knife is a mid-sized cook's/gyuto (9-1/2" - 11"), don't cut fish with a chef's (not many do), and you have decent technique, you don't require anything smaller.

By comparison, my petty is almost always the right knife for any task not requiring something longer.

If you're putting together or improving your basic set, improving your technique, and looking for the most efficient ways to do things, get the petty. If you're at the "cooking is mud pies but more fun" stage, indulge. In my opinion (not that it matters) the petty is one of the four knives in a core set, and nearly everyone should have one. A 6" chef's knife? Not really.

BDL good explanation as always. The reason for having a 150mm petty is because my wife would usually use a small knife for cutting fruits and shallots but I prefer to use the gyutos or suji most of the time.

. The reason for having a 150mm petty is because my wife would usually use a small knife for cutting fruits and shallots...

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In that case maybe you do want a mini-gyuto.... a "shallot specialist". Still, not as useful in-hand for fruits, I wouldn't think, if that's how it's being done. And it's not for you... so having the bigger gyuto might not be relevant to the person form whom it is?? Does she not want to do that? (Or do you want to keep her away from your favorite knives?)

Anyway, I think you have enough info to make a choice... it's just this "new information" does rather change the balance.

When I was younger we had a 12 inch chefs knifa, a stiff boning and a flex boning knifa, a paring knife and a slicer.which cost me about $60.00 total. Now we have 150 mm. 240mm tojiro s which cost about $125 to $250 each or more. for each. I ask is this not Progress?

When I was younger we had a 12 inch chefs knifa, a stiff boning and a flex boning knifa, a paring knife and a slicer.which cost me about $60.00 total. Now we have 150 mm. 240mm tojiro s which cost about $125 to $250 each or more. for each. I ask is this not Progress?

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Are the knives "8x" better? Maybe it's progress. Or maybe for some people. There are diminishing returns in every "connoisseur" hobby. I got an insane deal on some loudspeakers I bought around 20 years ago for $300 (they were $1200 list at the time). An upgrade at this point that "matters" would be around $5,000. You pay 100% more for a 10% increase in performance once you get to a certain level. (Or mix and match percentages -- I haven't done the science to be exact!)

Ignorance might be more blissful. My $12 10" chef's knife certainly did cut when I got it. And I could have tossed it and replaced it as needed rather than have learned to sharpen... dinner would have survived just fine. (Someone once said, of this obsession, "spend 10 bucks, make sure it has an edge. It's a knife. It cuts stuff. You'll be O.K.").

But I know what a good knife is, more or less, at this point, and am spoiled. It's much cheaper than guitars and stereo equipment, at least. It's a lot cheaper than just headphones. Let's not even talk about houses and cars or strippers -- real money for those who fancy themselves connoisseurs!

But yes, of course you're right. If the priority is cooking.... all this is just kinda a crazy emphasis. Especially for those of us who post ONLY on this sub-forum....!

Ed was younger 40 years ago. The knives were well-made carbons that just aren't available anymore except from Sabatier and at a considerably higher price. I think I remember Ed talking about carbons from some long extinct German maker.

Are skills more important than expensive equipment? Yes. Was that ever in question? No. But ask yourself, "How often do you see a pro chef with really outstanding knife skills using a cheap knife?" Very frikkin' rarely.

The two biggest issue with knives are whether they can be sharpened and maintained to an adequate edge for their purpose; and whether they're thin enough not to wedge for their purpose. Everything else is either secondary or bull$# ^!. By way of examples, the "right" profile, length or flex is secondary, and "balance" -- at least if you know how to hold a knife -- is bull$# ^!.

As for whether or not a $10 "white-handle" will work well for you, it's easy enough to find out. No joy for me, they're too hard to resharpen. Burr city. But if you like it, who am I to rain on your parade?

By way of a more realistic example, you can use and enjoy the heck out of a Forschner. It's a good knife, great for the price. But will an R. H. Forschner cook's work as well for you as your go-to gyuto as a MAC Pro? It depends.

I was just typing to someone else about I won't sharpen my $12 beater... I almost don't use it because I have good knives and definitely it's a different experience. But when it gets dull I'll trash it and not look back, or pay the dude who made it three bucks to sharpen it on his belts.

I think just a very basic level of competence, some rudimentary level that can at least be called "skills", is enough to really notice the difference between a Mac Pro and and a Wusthof Classic, even. Let alone a white-handle beater.

BDL is right, mine were all forschner or Gustafemil and all carbon steel. In fact when you put them on a wheel they thru sparks. All had wood riveted handles and blade went right up the handle. Still have some of them.. A lot of guys asked me if I wanted to sell them. I couldn't as they are only a few years younger then me. I did have one that I sold, a little newer it was Stainless and it weighed in at about 2 1/2 pounds. it was used to split lobsters.